Dark Realm
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: When a routine mission goes horribly wrong, Hiei and Kurama find themselves at the mercy of strange demons and terrifying circumstances. If they want to survive, it will take everything they have. H/K friendship.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho © not mine. Don't even think of going there.

**Prison Walls**

The mission had gone to hell in a hand basket fairly quickly, much too quickly for Kurama's tastes. Koenma had assured them that no one knew about his little intelligence operation. Not even Yusuke and Kuwabara had been informed. Koenma had assured them that this was open and shut, and perfectly safe.

Somewhere, someone was laughing at all three of them.

There should have been no reason for Kurama and Hiei to be sitting in a Makai prison waiting judgment. Technically, they had done nothing wrong, although that had never stopped anyone before. Kurama couldn't remember much of the fight and Hiei was still out cold. Something had to have gone terribly wrong for Hiei to be anything less than fully alert.

Their cell was small, dark, and damp. There were no windows, not that Kurama was actually expecting any. Their door was simply wood with no window cut into it, but he had no doubt that there were wards placed on the outside. He wondered, briefly, if their captors planned on torturing information out of them. That would be the best case scenario.

Voices reached his ears. They spoke so quietly he could barely hear the words, but Kurama could clearly hear a few words that made his blood run cold.

"Just some random demons – we'll have some fun tonight."

What color was left in Kurama's face faded as he gently nudged Hiei. "Wake up. I think we're in trouble." he whispered. His wounds from the battle (but when did he get hurt? He remembered a flash of pain and nothing more) stung horribly, but he ignored the pain as he focused on the fire demon. "Hiei, please – we need to fight!" Thoughts raced through his mind, crashing to a halt when his harsh whisper had the desired effect. Hiei's eyes flickered before opening fully. Kurama let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Hiei looked around. "I guess the miracle didn't occur."

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle at that. "No miracle, except perhaps that we are still alive." He looked his friend over critically. "Where are you hurt?"

"I'm not." Hiei said shortly.

"There's no time for stubborn pride." Kurama hissed, taking care to keep his voice low. "Show me your injuries. We cannot afford to be weak."

Hiei met his gaze evenly. "I'm not hurt."

Suddenly Kurama understood. "How badly were we outnumbered?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know. Hiei simply did not retreat. It wasn't in his nature.

"Enough." Hiei replied, sounding calm enough. "They weren't the ones that Koenma sent us after, so our secret's safe for now." Kurama's eyes narrowed, but he didn't press the subject. Something had happened during the battle, and Hiei refused to tell him about it. Kurama would have to wrangle the truth from him later. Right now they had more pressing problems.

Pain shot through his side, sending him from his knees to lay on the ground. Hiei quickly scooted forward and turned Kurama onto his back the best he could. "You're too tall, fox." he grumbled. "I can barely push you."

"You're just too small, Hiei." Kurama shot back, his voice strained with pain. The gash on his side was still weeping blood, and Hiei let his gaze linger a little longer than necessary on it. "You need to grow some more."

"I think I'm just condemned to being short, especially around you." The casual banter was keeping Kurama calm even as Hiei pressed both hands against his wound. "Don't scream."

Kurama had just enough time to brace himself for the pain.

Hiei brought his powers to bear. Kurama bit his tounge, fighting back a cry of pain as Hiei cauterized the wound. It wasn't the first time Hiei had done this – on the rare occasions where one or both of them had been hurt, they usually wound up healing each other to the best of their abilities. So Kurama was used to searing fire. It still hurt.

Hiei pulled his hands away. "You'll live."

Kurama smiled. "Thank you."

The briefest flicker of an honest smile crossed Hiei's face as he leaned against the cell wall. "So how long before Koenma realizes we aren't coming back?" he asked conversationally.

"Too long." Kurama grimaced. "I'm afraid we're living on borrowed time."

Hiei couldn't stop a smirk. "Welcome to my world."

"Shut up." The brick wall they were leaning against was beginning to leech the cold from their bodies. Hiei was already starting to shiver. He glanced sidelong at Kurama, who was holding himself rigid. He knew his companion was feeling the cold as well. He grimaced.

Borrowed time, indeed, and no where near enough of it. When it came time to fight, he doubted they'd be strong enough to escape.

Still, better to die fighting. Always.

/----/

Under normal circumstances, Yusuke would have told Botan to get lost long before she ever made it across the lunchroom to where he and Kuwabara sat. It was bad enough that the teachers liked to hassle him; he didn't need Koenma's messenger doing it as well. The look on her face, however, was enough to kill the smart remark that threatened to come out.

"What's wrong?" The alarm in his voice alerted Kuwabara, who looked curiously from Yusuke to Botan. The ferry girl was trembling, though whether in fear or worry neither boy could tell.

Botan took a deep breath before she spoke. "Kurama and Hiei are in trouble."

"What?!" Kuwabara demanded.

Yusuke stiffened. "What kind of trouble?"

Botan shivered. "Uh – Lord Koenma sent them on an intelligence mission – to gather information about a new demon group that had recently come to our attention – and we lost contact with them three days ago. We found them this morning, being held prisoner by an unknown group. We know where they are, but we can't get to them."

"So you want us to?" Yusuke demanded.

"Yes."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kuwabara grinned. "Let's go rescue Kurama and the shrimp. We'll be heroes!"

"We'll be dead." Yusuke retorted incredulously. "Botan, you can't be serious! If our two best fighters were captured, what's to keep us from getting killed?"

"You'll have help." Botan protested.

"Who?"

"Jin and Touya."

Kuwabara and Yusuke exchanged looks. "They're willing to fight with us?" Kuwabara wondered. Yusuke grinned.

"They'll be great." he said.

"Come on, you two." Botan stood and motioned for them to follow her. "They're waiting for us behind the school. Kurama and Hiei don't have much time." With that she guided them through the school. Yusuke thought he heard Keiko call out for him, but he didn't react. Let Botan explain it later. Maybe then she'd stay out of trouble.

Yusuke grinned at the sight of Jin and Touya waiting in the lot behind the school. Touya was leaning against a fence post with his arms crossed over his chest while Jin was sitting cross-legged in midair. "Well if it isn't my two favorite demons from the Dark Tournament." Yusuke teased. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Urameshi!" Jin greeted him happily. "We heard your mates got themselves in a wee bit of trouble so we thought we'd lend a hand!" Yusuke took a second to let his brain decipher the quick Irish accent before he nodded with a grimace.

"Something like that." he said. "You guys ready to give us a tour of the demon world?"

"Of course." Touya replied. "Who all is coming?"

"Just me and Urameshi." Kuwabara said, jerking his thumb at Yusuke. "No one else can fight."

"Unless you want to get Genkai involved." Yusuke commented dryly.

Jin laughed. "Whoo-wee, Genkai was a feisty one I wouldn't fancy going against her no sir." He winked at Yusuke, who just laughed.

Touya shook his head tolerantly. "Come on. We need to go." With a wave of his hand, a gaping hole materialized in the air. Yusuke and Kuwabara could see a red-lit landscape behind it, but only barely. Touya fixed them both with a hard look. "Stay close."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Kuwabara muttered. Yusuke nodded, and they followed Touya and Jin into the Demon World.

/----/

AN: Yeah, here we go again. Man, I thought I was done with this. (shakes head) Oh well. I'm new to this fandom, so feel free to give me advice about characterizations and whatnot. Just as an FYI, though – this is not slash. It will not be slash. The most you might be able to read into it is shonen-ai, if you tilt your head to the left and turn your slash-goggles up to highest magnification.

I wouldn't mention this, but there doesn't seem to be many, if any, stories involving Hiei and Kurama that doesn't make them a couple. So here's a heads-up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Secret Out**

They came back a few hours later. This time Kurama was able to recognize there was a dragon-demon another fire demon in the group, as well as two ogres. Kurama glanced sidelong at Hiei. This couldn't be all of their captors, otherwise Kurama would have woken up in a battlefield with Hiei bragging. The mere thought made him smirk.

The dragon-demon stopped at their cage and pushed the door open. Hiei tensed. The dragon smiled. "I am Ryu. These are Kali, Ronin, and Doyle. Remember our names – you'll be using them to beg later." Ryu spoke pleasantly enough during his introduction, but his eyes glittered with malice.

Hiei spat on the ground. "Riff-raff."

Kali backhanded him with enough force to drive him to his knees. He heard Kurama's gasp but chose to ignore him as he stood back up. No need to make life easier for Ryu, after all. Kurama took a step towards him with the intent to help, only to find himself stopped by Kali's sword at his throat. He froze. Hiei glared at Ryu.

"You obviously don't know who we are." he bit out. Ryu grinned as he twirled his axe.

"Nor do I care." Ryu sneered. "Arrogant apparition."

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle. "That he is." He ignored the venom in Hiei's glare and focused on the little demon. Telepathy had never been his strong point, but Hiei's Jagan eye made it possible for him to read Kurama's mind. Hiei caught his gaze and gave his head a tiny shake. Kurama frowned, but understood. One of their captors was a telepath as well.

Well, that sucked.

Ryu made a 'follow me' motion with his hand and led the small group out of the room. Hiei noticed that their cell was at the end of a large hallway. They walked in two lines, Ryu and Doyle taking the lead, Kurama and Hiei in the middle, and Ronin and Kali bringing up the rear. Hiei also noticed with no small amount of apprehension that Kali still had her blade at Kurama's throat, and the fox demon was being very cautious of her weapon.

Hiei wished he could ask Kurama what was so wrong – never had he seen the fox demon be that _careful_ about something other than a safe – but that cursed Ronin was listening in. His Jagan eye protected him, but he couldn't extend the same protection to Kurama. Actually, the mere fact that Kurama was under guard and Hiei was not was worrying. Either they thought Hiei was the weaker of the two (which he liked to prove to Kurama on occasion just how wrong that was) or they had figured out something not even Yusuke and Kuwabara knew.

If that was the case, Hiei actually feared what would happen next.

They made it to the end of the hall in silence. Kurama and Hiei exchanged confused, worried looks. They had just entered an arena of sorts. It was clearly a dungeon, but just as clearly entertainment for the local demons – no less than fifty of them lined the walls to see the latest attraction. Ronin shoved Hiei into the center of the room while Kali directed Kurama to the side. Kurama shivered slightly, the damp cold starting to get to him. Hiei had simply cranked his own internal heat up a notch to stay comfortable. Now he was about to let out all that heat as flames. See exactly how cocky Ryu was when he realized his 'prisoner' just set him on fire.

His line of thought was distracted when Ronin tossed him his sword. Automatically, Hiei reached up and grabbed it from the air. He cast Ryu a look. "You want me to fight you?" he demanded. "Now that's new. Never heard of a torturer that _wanted_ his victims to fight back."

Ryu snickered. "Oh, but this is so much more interesting." he said with a happy smile. "You see, you're going to fight me. But every time you land a blow on me, Kali dear will cut your friend." His smile widened. "Oh, and that blade of hers is coated with poison, specially made just for you two. The redhead will be her first victim. Isn't that wonderful?"

Hiei's gaze snapped over to Kurama. One look at his tense posture was more than enough confirmation. _Must be some sort of plant poison, otherwise he wouldn't have known about it either._ Kurama's eyes were narrowed, the message in them clear –

_Kill him._

Kali smiled sweetly. "Why don't I just go ahead and cut his head off?" she asked. "Poison distorts the features too much. I won't be able to keep his head otherwise."

Ryu shook his head. "I want to play our games first. Then you may take his head." Kali pouted.

"She must be your little sister." Hiei commented dryly, struggling to think of a way around this. He didn't doubt that he could kill Ryu. The dragon was just too cocky for his own good. The real question was, could he kill Ryu and Kali before the sadistic witch had the chance to cut Kurama? Hiei also didn't doubt just how deadly that poison was. Kurama wouldn't hold still for nothing less than a complete threat on his life. He wouldn't be staring at Hiei like that if he thought there was some way they both could get out of this alive, and Kurama knew just how fast Hiei could be when pushed.

Which meant there was something about Ryu that he was missing. Something that Kurama's talent with plants would give him an edge in detecting –

Oh. Crap.

Hiei fell into a defensive stance. "Then come at me." he challenged. "Let's see if you can fight as well as you can talk." He kept his eyes focused on that axe. Tricky of Ryu not to tell him _both_ blades were poisoned, but that just made Hiei's job a little bit more interesting.

Ryu vanished.

Hiei froze. _What?!_ Before he could get much more than the thought out, Ryu's axe cut down across his shoulder. It would have cleaved another demon in half, but by then Hiei was already gone and halfway across the chamber.

Kurama watched the match, tense and for the first time in a very long time, a little afraid. Kurama recognized Hiei's attack pattern – the fire apparition wasn't so much trying to avoid Ryu as he was trying to get to Kurama without tipping off Kali. The female fire demon's eyes were narrowed as she watched the match, and Kurama knew she was keeping track of every movement. If she thought for a second that Hiei was coming her way, she would kill Kurama. Hiei must have known this as well. There was no other explanation for his caution when he knew he was fully capable of taking out Kali under any other circumstances.

Once again, Kurama was reminded of their secret, and just why it _was_ a secret. His fists clenched as he growled low in his throat. He _hated_ being weak.

Ryu's louder growl caught his attention. "Enough of this! Kali!"

With a smirk, Kali flicked her wrist. Kurama grunted as the edge of her blade cut down his arm.

Hiei froze at the sound, hesitating just long enough for the tip of Ryu's axe to lay his back open. In a flash he was gone to only appear at Kurama's side, sword raised as he slashed at Kali. The taller fire apparition hissed in anger as she jumped back, narrowly avoiding Hiei's blade. Hiei was breathing hard, his body starting to tremble as the poison took effect. He still had the energy to snarl something foul at Ryu. Kurama almost chuckled. He slid back a pace, allowing Hiei to rest against him even as he clutched his arm, feeling the poison burn through his veins.

Of course it would affect Hiei faster than it would Kurama. Hiei's body ran at a completely different speed, his heart and respiration rates accelerated beyond the norm. It just meant the poison would kill him faster than it would Kurama. Ryu was using them against each other, knowing Hiei would hesitate if he knew Kurama was hurt, just long enough.

Ronin walked over, picking Hiei up and throwing him over his shoulder. Kurama snarled, falling into a fighting stance as Ronin started to walk away. "Where are you taking him?!" he demanded, his voice harsh and unforgiving. If Ryu had been expecting despair or even submission, he didn't show his surprise at Kurama's venom. He chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry – your friend is being patched up." Ronin left the room, leaving Kurama to calculate the odds. Ryu smirked. "He'll die without it, as will you. But Doyle will be administering to you." With that the other ogre walked forward, clamping a strong hand on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama promptly shook it off. He could faintly hear Hiei threatening to burn Ronin if he didn't put him down, and he had to bite back a smile. Of course Hiei wouldn't go down without a fight, poison or not.

"I'll walk." he said darkly.

Ryu smiled. "I thought so."

Kurama didn't like that smile, but he followed Doyle anyway. If this was the worst Ryu could throw at them, they'd be lucky. Somehow, though, he had the feeling the worst was yet to come.

**/----/**

An: Okay, since this chapter was all Hiei and Kurama, the next will be all/mostly Yusuke's gang. Let me know what you think! I know they're out of character, but hey, I figure they have a right to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fight**

The Demon Realm was nothing like what Yusuke had imagined. The territory Touya's spell had landed them in was marshy, for one thing. Yusuke had always thought of the place being something like Hiei – hot and brutal. The worst that was happening to Yusuke now was the humidity. It made it feel like he was swimming through the air as opposed to wading through ankle deep water. Horribly oppressing, but nothing like what he was expecting.

Or maybe it just felt that way because Kuwabara was being so darn amusing.

"Jin?" Touya's voice broke their relative silence. Jin had taken the lead, floating over the marsh with ease. Touya had fallen into step behind him, with Yusuke and Kuwabara taking up the rear. Jin tilted his head a little to show he was listening. "Would you please help Urameshi and Kuwabara? I would, but I'm afraid I might just freeze them and leave them there."

Jin glanced over his shoulder, and almost fell out of the sky laughing.

The water was only ankle deep, but the soggy mud beneath sucked at their feet, dragging them down if they strayed from the path Touya was creating with his powers. Yusuke had been doing reasonably well in keeping to the frozen stepping stones, but Kuwabara hadn't been so lucky. A misstep, and he had slipped and fallen face-first in the muck. Jin could barely hear him screaming into the mud while Yusuke watched, doubled over in silent laughter. Urameshi finally got control of himself enough to speak.

"Wow, Kuwabara. Didn't Touya tell us to stay behind him?"

"MMMMM!" Kuwabara thumped his fist into the muck. Yusuke just laughed harder. "MMMMMM-MMMMM!"

"What's he saying do you know?" Jin demanded, snickering the entire time.

Yusuke grinned. "I think he just cursed my bloodline to the seventh generation." he said easily. "Come on – help me get him up." He grabbed one of Kuwabara's arms while Jin grabbed the other. Touya stood guard.

"You might want to hurry." he warned. "Something is coming."

"I sense it Touya there's no need to tell me about it." Jin snapped. He and Yusuke pulled hard, barely tugging Kuwabara's head free of the muck. Kuwabara spat mud and promptly began muttering curses again. Yusuke frowned.

"If you don't shut up, I will drop you." he threatened. "Don't you sense it?"

"I sense it." Kuwabara snipped. "It's coming our way anyway. I think it's locked on to Jin and Touya." The two demons exchanged exasperated looks. There really wasn't any time for fights. The longer they were delayed, the less their chances of finding Hiei and Kurama alive.

Although, considering exactly who Hiei and Kurama were, there was a very good chance they were dead already. Or that their captors were dead and Botan had been worrying for nothing. They wouldn't go down without a fight, after all.

Jin finished helping Kuwabara to his feet as Yusuke walked carefully over to stand by Touya. "Any idea who it is?" he asked quietly. "Or even what it is?"

"It's not very powerful." Touya responded. "But there's at least five of them. They could prove time-consuming, at the most."

"And time is one thing we don't have." Yusuke growled. "So now what?"

Touya focused his powers, icing over the mud underneath their feet. Yusuke couldn't help a grin. At least now it was an even playing field. "We're going to have to either fight quickly or run." Touya said finally. "Considering our options, fighting quickly is the best way."

Jin nodded. "Touya is right they're surrounding us as we speak."

Kuwabara glared at the sky. "Then let 'em come."

They came. Massive bat-like creatures, one attacked Kuwabara from behind. He snarled as he spun around, his spirit sword materializing and stabbing through the thing's chest in one fluid motion. Yusuke immediately engaged another in hand-to-hand combat, Touya materialized his ice knife and went after a third, and Jin amused himself with flinging the other two into each other without ever touching them. He was having entirely too much fun with his wind powers, Yusuke thought with a grin.

Kuwabara slid beside Yusuke as the spirit detective lost his patience and blasted his demon with the spirit gun. At that moment, Touya finished off his opponent with a sweeping cut that took off the thing's head and sent it rolling through the muck. Jin was still having fun with his two attackers. Or maybe by now victims was a better word. Touya sighed as he walked over to stand behind Jin.

"Finished?"

"Nope." Jin said cheerfully. "They interrupted us I wanna beat them down a few times for it you know?"

Touya made a show of shaking his head in exasperation. "I have never claimed to understand you, Jin."

"You understand him better than we do." Kuwabara muttered. Yusuke laughed at him.

"Come on, Jin. Enough play for now." he said, drawing the air demon's attention to him. "There will be plenty of time for that later, when we rescue Kurama and Hiei."

/-----/

Kurama gasped in pain as Doyle threw him into the cell. They had given him the antedote, all right, but not before beating him within an inch of his life. Paralyzed as he was by the poison, he had been unable to fight back. The cell door shut and locked, but Kurama didn't move. He simply lay on the floor, trying to catch his breath. He had been through worse, but never in his human body. Youko Kurama had a much higher threshold for pain.

Someone touched his shoulder. /You need to sit up. We're being watched./

Kurama slowly forced himself to his hands and knees, his arms trembling slightly. Hiei kept a steadying hand on his shoulder, but Kurama could feel his fingers shaking. Apparently Ronin had done the same to Hiei. Kurama slumped into a sitting position, finally able to turn his focus to Hiei. The small fire apparition was covered in bruises, as Kurama himself was. There was a stab wound straight through his left shoulder. Hiei was holding that arm still. By the next morning it would heal, for the most part, but at the moment that arm was useless.

/Don't worry about us being heard./ Hiei said. /Ronin went off somewhere. Ryu is watching us, though. You cannot show weakness./

Kurama nodded. /I hear you./ It was much harder for him to focus on the words and send them the way Hiei could. /How badly are you hurt?/

/Not as bad as it could have been./ Hiei slid back against the wall. Kurama joined him. His left shoulder was unusually sore, but he didn't remember Doyle actually striking him there. With a frown, he pushed back his shirt to assess the damage.

A deep purple bruise, in the exact shape of a stab wound. Exactly where Hiei himself had been stabbed. Kurama calmly pulled his shirt back up, his mind whirling with this new information.

/Hiei – they know./

Hiei sighed. /I thought as much. Ronin probably went through my mind while my Jagan was sealed. It was only a matter of time./ He met Kurama's eyes briefly before studying the floor again. /Can you fight?/

Kurama suppressed a chuckle. /Like something this small will hold me back?/

Hiei hid a grin. /I thought not./

The conversation ended, but the decision had already been made. They would not stay here, not in a place where their carefully guarded secret was so well known. They would escape, and they would kill every single person in this fortress to do it if they had to.

Starting with Ryu and Ronin.


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter four**

Ryu was a collector. He had somehow managed to get his hands on several different objects that he never should have known existed, much less owned. Among these things was an enchanted mirror that had once belonged to Enmah, one that allowed him to see wherever he needed to. Ryu, being who he was, used it to keep an eye on his prisoners. Right now he was watching his two newest arrivals. He seemed tense. "Why would two demons risk such a thing?" He reached out and almost touched the glass. "Partners I understand, but this? It's a weakness they cannot afford to have." Ronin, who stood by his side, simply shrugged.

"Perhaps they didn't think this through." he said. "I didn't get enough information before the little one shut me out completely. He's stronger than he looks." His gaze flickered to the redhead. "That one worries me. He shouldn't have known about Kali's poison, but he did. For a half-breed, he's remarkably strong. Perhaps we underestimated them."

"It's a possibility." Ryu relented. The two prisoners had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, the little demon pressed securely against his taller companion's side. The air around them rippled with heat. The fire apparition was trying to keep his companion warm. Ryu smirked. "I wonder just how deep their bond goes?"

Ronin cast him a glance. "Meaning?"

Ryu's smirk morphed into something frightening. "Wake our guests. Give one of them to Kali. I want to know what will happen to the other if we torture one." Ronin nodded and left the room. Ryu continued to study the mirror. He was looking forward to this.

Hiei woke just before Ronin opened the door. He could feel the foul ogre's mind enter his as he spoke. _Get up, half-pint. Time to go._ Ronin jerked his head towards the door. Hiei simply glared at him. If the ogre thought he was going to move just because he demanded it, he had another thing coming. Hiei made a show of deliberately closing his eyes once again, though all his senses were honed on Ronin. He was aware of Kurama starting to wake, but he chose to ignore that for the moment.

Ronin snarled silently. _I said move!_

Hiei raised one hand and made a rude gesture. Ronin's snarl turned into a growl as he lunged forward, grabbing hold of Hiei's arm and forcibly starting to drag him away. Hiei's eyes snapped open in shock, his aura automatically flaring in response.

Kurama was jerked into awareness by the loss of his source of heat. The air went from pleasantly warm to cold to boiling in about thirty seconds. Before he had the chance to fully wake, his instincts kicked in. Hiei was only mildly surprised when Kurama leapt to his feet, grabbing Hiei with one hand and lashing out at Ronin with the other. The fire apparition fell back against Kurama's chest. Ronin stumbled backwards as Kurama's fist connected with his nose. Kurama was keenly aware of only two things – that Hiei was safely away from Ronin and that Ronin himself was starting to approach once again.

His free hand shot out in front of him, a small seed held between his fingers. It wasn't as visually impressive as his rose whip, but it would do the trick. Hiei reached up and placed a hand on Kurama's outstretched arm, and Kurama could feel warmth spread into the seed. A slight smirk twisted his lips.

Ronin froze. "Killing me will only make your situation worse." he hissed. Kurama's smile turned feral.

"Ask me if I care."

Hiei spoke up. "Killing you would make our day. Killing Ryu, on the other hand, would make our week. You could make us happy and move, or you could make us ecstatic and let us kill you. Your choice." His voice was rough. Neither of them were in any condition for an extended fight, but they'd be damned if they didn't try.

Ronin sneered and took a step forward. "You wouldn't –"

Kurama flicked the seed. It erupted into flames even as it sprouted into Kurama's favorite blood-sucking plant. The flaming monstrosity latched on to Ronin and started sucking away even as Kurama dragged Hiei out of the cell. They leaned against the hallway wall, breathing heavily.

Hiei smirked. "That was a fast reaction."

Kurama snorted. "I get cranky when someone takes my space heater." he shot back. "Unseal your Jagan. Without our weapons, we cannot fight."

"Yet, fox." Hiei corrected, but he undid his headband anyway. His third eye opened. "We aren't getting out of this one easily." he admitted. "I can't see beyond one level. I know we need to head up." Kurama nodded.

"Good enough for me." He motioned down the hall. "Lead the way." Hiei nodded sharply and took the lead, guiding Kurama through the hallway and back into the arena. Now that the arena was clear, they could tell the place was really a circular chamber with seven hallways leading off in different directions. Another maze, with no time left to waste. "Now what?" Kurama murmured.

"Don't tell Kuwabara I said this," Hiei muttered, "but we could use the idiot about now."

Kurama studied the hallways. "Only one chance to get it right." he mused aloud. "But which way?"

"Do I look like I have a map?" Hiei snapped. Still, he hesitated. "Forward. We'll have to take our chances." Kurama nodded and followed him without protest. Moving the wrong way was less dangerous than standing still. A moving target was always harder to hit than a stagnant one. They both understood this. They kept moving.

They made it a dozen yards into the hallway and had come to a four-way intersection when Kurama suddenly grabbed Hiei's shoulder, bringing the fire apparition to a sudden halt. "Kurama?" He turned to study the fox with his Jagan and nearly flinched. They were both moving on pure willpower, but he hadn't realized just how depleted Kurama's spirit energy was. The fox was lucky to be standing at all. Kurama smiled reassuringly at him even as he struggled to keep the room in focus.

"I'm fine." he assured his partner. "The plant just took more out of me than I had anticipated." The room finally stopped spinning and he straightened, standing on his own once again.

Hiei gave him a look. "You are a horrible liar." he announced as he resumed walking, this time heading left. Now that the hallways were perpendicular to each other, simple logic could possibly get them out. Always heading left would get them out, even if they had to go through the entire maze. Assuming they had picked the right direction.

Kurama chuckled. "Au contraire, I am an excellent liar." he replied easily. "You are simply unusually suspicious of everyone, including me." His voice took on a gentle mocking tone. "I'm hurt."

"Shut up, fox." They took another left turn and froze. "Ah, hell."

Standing not ten feet down the dead end hallway, Kali smirked. "Little demon, hell doesn't even begin to cover it."


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter five**

"At least we're out of the swamp." Yusuke muttered. "I saw bugs in there bigger than bugs had a right to be." He flashed Kuwabara a grin. The taller boy simply shook his head. Some people thought that Yusuke had an innate inability to take anything seriously. Kuwabara had known him long enough to know that humor was Yusuke's defense mechanism. The more jokes he told, the more worried he was.

That was his third joke in three minutes.

Jin must have picked up on it as well. "We're getting closer Urameshi there's no need to fret."

Yusuke paused for a second. "Fret? Honestly, who says that anymore? That's an old person's word!"

"I say it and I'm not old!"

"How old are you?" Yusuke was smirking now. Kuwabara couldn't help but chuckle. "Older than me I'll bet."

"Not in demon terms." Jin retorted cheerfully.

Touya rolled his eyes. "That's one way to keep the idiots occupied." he muttered. "Let them bicker until we get there."

Kuwabara grinned. "I'd rather have them bickering than Urameshi worrying all the time." he said quietly. "He likes Kurama and Hiei. I almost feel sorry for those demons."

Touya shook his head. "They must be strong. Hiei and Kurama are too powerful to be taken down by the usual low-level demons in this area." There was a measure of respect in his voice. At Kuwabara's surprised look, he elaborated. "I have nothing against Kurama for defeating me. I was fighting for recognition, but he was fighting for your lives. I admire what he was willing to do to ensure your victory." He nodded towards Jin and Yusuke, who were still arguing even as they walked. "He feels the same. We didn't have the pleasure of fighting Hiei, but we watched as he took on Bui. We respect you as well."

Kuwabara grimaced. His performance in the Dark Tournament hadn't been exactly stellar. "I'm not like them."

"No. But with training, you'll be just as good." Touya smirked. "Or experience."

"Don't tease Touya the two are one and the same." Jin chided. Apparently they were listening in.

Suddenly Kuwabara tensed. "There." he breathed. The trees fell away to reveal a massive medieval castle situated in the center of a large clearing. Yusuke frowned as he studied the structure. Hard to sneak up on, to be sure, but still nothing much.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Impressed and extremely worried." Touya said, his normally calm voice sounding strained. "That castle belongs to the dragon warlord Ryu. He's well known to his subjects for his cruelty."

"Yeah, but Hiei and Kurama are no pushovers." Yusuke pointed out. "They'll be fine." He sounded confident enough.

"His adopted sister is the real problem Kali's a fire apparition like Hiei and a sadist to boot." Jin added. "She gets her kicks out of torturing Ryu's prisoners in new and creative ways the despicable wench."

"There you go using old words again." Yusuke complained absently. "So who are we dealing with in there?"

"Ryu and Kali, and their two servant ogres, Ronin and Doyle." Touya responded. "The ogres are no pushovers, but they aren't as powerful as Ryu and Kali. Last I checked, Ronin was a telepath. It's about their only true power."

Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged looks. Hiei was telepathic as well. Kuwabara groaned. "I'm done playing hero. Can we go home now?" he muttered half-heartedly.

Yusuke just laughed at him.

/----/

Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks. Kurama shook his head slightly. Hiei scowled, but nodded in return. He hated playing bait. Kali took a step forward, a pleasant smile on her face. "Boys, you have two options." she informed them. Hiei began to shift to the left, ever so slowly. kali didn't notice. "You can either come with me and live, or you can die. It's that simple."

"There's a third option." Kurama said calmly, drawing his rose from under his hair. "We can kill you."

Kali readied her whip. "I am not like Ronin."

"Oh, so you know he's dead then?" Kurama couldn't help but smirk as Kali snarled and lunged towards him. /Now!/

Hiei streaked past Kali, forcing her attention on him. She lashed out at the fire apparition with her whip. Hiei dodged, but only barely. /Hurry up, fox./ he warned, cointinuing to flicker in and out of Kali's reach. Exhaustion was making him slow. She would catch him in a matter of minutes.

"_Rose whip!"_ Kurama's weapon of choice wrapped around Kali's arm, pinning her in place. The thorns dug into her arm, but she didn't even flinch. Her attention was drawn from Hiei, though, giving him the chance to catch his breath. Kali snarled and twisted into the vine, jerking Kurama off-balance. Under normal circumstances, Kurama would have laughed at such a move, but exhaustion was slowing him as well. He was unsteady. He twisted, barely avoiding the stinging leather as her whip lashed out at his face. Suddenly the last foot of the weapon split in half, snapping back to leave two bloody swaths across the fox's chest.

Hiei snarled and charged Kali, fists covered with flames. It was a brash attack, designed more to get Kurama away from the fire apparition than to do actual harm. Kali twisted around, paying no attention to Kurama, and grabbed Hiei's wrist, flinging him across the hallway. He smacked into the far wall with a sharp yelp of pain. He slid to the ground, breathing hard.

Kali smiled. "You cannot defeat me."

Kurama grabbed the end of his whip with both hands and jerked, sending Kali flying. She landed on her feet (pity that) but far enough away for Kurama to place himself between her and Hiei. He glanced over his shoulder at his partner. /Are you all right?/

/Fine./ Hiei forced himself to his feet. The blow had cracked a few ribs, making breathing difficult. He raised his right hand, and the wards began to glow. /You need to move, Kurama./

The fox didn't budge. /It's dangerous./

/Less so than letting her win./ Hiei pointed out, venom in his mental voice. /Do you have a better idea?/ Kurama didn't respond, but he did take a step to the side and back. His hand landed on Hiei's shoulder, offering support. Hiei didn't react. Kurama hadn't expected him to.

Kali smirked. "Make your move."

The dungeon trembled. Shafts of black light pierced through the floor, circling around Hiei and Kurama. The fire apparition's ward fell away, revealing the pulsating dragon tattoo. Kali took a step back, alarm beginning to show on her face. Kurama's grip on Hiei's shoulder tightened, holding him steady as the attack began to take its toll. Hiei trembled.

Kurama gritted his teeth. In his weakened state, the dragon was going to kill Hiei. It was a horrifying risk Kurama was letting his partner take. He bit his lip.

If Hiei could risk it all, so could Kurama. He let his end of their secret fall open even as he ruthlessly broke down the barrier that surrounded his trueform.

Hiei gasped as the strange-familiar energy flowed through him. In times of crisis, Kurama always had the extra energy of Youko to draw on. It was Youko's energy that powered him now. /Kurama!/

Kurama squeezed his shoulder gently, and Hiei could feel Youko's claws. /Just do it./ he whispered in Youko's voice. Odd, to hear that tone again after so long. Hiei gritted his teeth. There was no telling what Youko's energy would do to the dragon, but one thing was certain – if the attack killed Hiei, it would kill Kurama too.

"_Dragon of the Darkness Flame!"_

The tattoo erupted from his arm, the dragon manifesting far larger than the confined space should have allowed. Kali screamed and lashed out with her whip, the tip cutting across Hiei's outstretched arm before the dragon tore through her, leaving little more than singed leather behind. The dragon returned to its place on Hiei's arm.

Kurama's voice was almost normal when he spoke. "It worked."

The world tilted, and Hiei fell back into Kurama just as the hallway caved in.


	6. Chapter 6

**ch 6**

The mad dash across the clearing went rather uneventfully, and that bothered Yusuke. The place was set up to look like a fortress, and it should have been guarded like one, but they encountered no one as they entered the castle. By the time they made it down the entrance hall into the first massive chamber-like room, Yusuke was glad to see the ugly ogre standing there waiting for him. At least now he had someone to fight, even if it was just an ugly lower-class demon. Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest. "So you're the welcoming committee?" he taunted. "I was expecting something more impressive."

The ogre glared at him. "You must be determined to have made it this far." he growled. "I would have brought my brother, but our more recent prisoners seemed to have killed him. Weak fool. Ryu was stupid to put him in a position of power like that." He continued to grumble for a second. Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged looks. Jin nudged Touya and grinned. Touya simply rolled his eyes, but relented to his friend's unspoken request.

A sliver of ice shot across the room, slitting the ogre's cheek open. Touya gave him a look as cold as his ice. "Are you actually going to fight us, or are you going to just stand there?"

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Touya now we can just kill him while he stands there like an idiot much more fun that way don't you think?" Jin said cheerfully.

"Sadist." Kuwabara muttered.

The ogre growled. "I am Doyle. Know the name of your killer!" With that, he charged at the group.

Yusuke raised his hand. His finger began to glow blue, but if Doyle noticed it, he didn't think enough of it to slow down. For a moment, Yusuke wondered if it was worth wasting one of his bullets on this idiot, but they didn't have the luxury of a drawn-out fight. They had to end this quickly, so they could find Kurama and Hiei. He took careful aim.

Doyle grinned and drew back his arm. "Die!"

"_Spirit Gun!"_

The entire chamber was lit in a brilliant flash of blue light, and Doyle screamed as his body disintegrated under the force of Yusuke's energy. It was over in a second. Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief.

"No pushover." he muttered. "But definitely low-class compared to what I've fought." He glanced at the others. "This place is huge. We should split up and start looking for them."

Touya and Jin exchanged looks. "Ryu knows we're here." Touya said slowly. "If he knows, then chances are he's going to stop us. We can take him."

Kuwabara stared at him. "You mean you're going to take on Ryu on your own?"

"He'll have my help he won't be all alone." Jin said indignantly. "We'll take on Ryu and buy you mates some time you'll need all the help you can get to find Hiei and Kurama it's like a maze under the castle." Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other. Kuwabara grinned.

"Well, I'm good with mazes." Kuwabara said with mock-cheerfulness. "Let's go find the shrimp and Kurama. 'Bout time we drug them back instead of the other way around, right Urameshi?"

Yusuke nodded. "Right. Let's go. Lead the way, Mr. Sensitive." Kuwabara flashed him a smirk and took off down one of the halls, Yusuke hot on his heels. Jin sighed.

"That's not quite fair I guess we still don't know where Kali is and if they find her first they'll be killed." he pointed out. Touya smirked.

"If anyone will find Kali, it will be Hiei and Kurama." he said softly. "And if anyone can find a way to defeat her, it's them. Let's go." With that the two took off down a different hallway, seeking out Ryu's aura.

/---/

Yusuke glared at Kuwabara. "Are you sure this is the right way?" he demanded. "We're running in circles!"

"Are not!" Kuwabara protested. "We're gaining on them – I know it! Kurama's energy is getting stronger. Besides, that's where the cave-in happened."

Yusuke almost hesitated. "And Hiei's energy?"

Kuwabara did hesitate. "I – I don't know. I can't sense him at all."

/----/

They were trapped.

That much Kurama was aware of as he slowly regained consciousness. He was also aware of the small body underneath him and the rocks pressing in on his back. When the roof caved in, Kurama had instinctively tucked the unconscious Hiei under him to protect him from the falling rocks. He reached out for Hiei now, their secret completely open and exposed between them. Kurama could tell now just how weak the attack had left Hiei.

He was slipping away, farther and farther from Kurama's mental reach.

Dying.

/Hiei!/ Kurama snapped, and his own voice was weak as well. He was dangerously low on energy himself, and now even Youko's stash of energy had been used up. He was running dry. /Hiei, please, hold on! Curse it, you cannot die – I will not let you!/

He didn't dare pull away from Hiei now. His energy, as limited as it was, was keeping Hiei barely hanging on. Even if it meant his life, Kurama would stay, and Hiei would live.

/----/

AN: Dun dun dun! Sorry about the really short chapter, but I wanted to get something out while my YYH muse was still cooperating with me. Next up – Jin and Touya fight Ryu (which will be much more spectacular than this battle, trust me) and Kuwabara and Yusuke find Hiei and Kurama, but will it be in time? Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

**ch 7**

Jin and Touya didn't make it far. Ryu was waiting for them not three chambers down from their fight with Doyle. His arms were crossed over his chest, his aura flaring in anger. Touya hesitated on the far side of the chamber from Ryu, Jin hovering at his shoulder. Ryu smirked. "So – these two low-classed demons must be important to you. Why else would the Shinobi attack my castle unless it was personal?" His voice was low and barely controlled, seething with anger and hate. Jin smirked.

"Low class my rear those two happen to be the best fighters we have ever known." he said cheerfully.

"And they are friends of ours." Touya added. "We would be so grateful if you would return them to us."

Ryu sneered. "They aren't worth anything. They are simply my playthings now."

Jin's fists clenched. "Can you not feel it Ryu Ronin and Doyle are dead and Kali will be soon if she's not already I haven't sensed her at all since we've entered the castle this is Kurama and Hiei's doing!"

"Oh? Is that their names? I hadn't bothered to check."

Touya raised an eyebrow at him. "Arrogant fool." he said calmly. "I'm surprised they didn't kill you and be done with it to begin with."

Ryu smirked. "I'm smarter than that." He took a step forward. "So, are we going to fight, or are we going to argue over the worth of a couple of dead prisoners? I hope you choose the first – it's so much more entertaining." He took another step forward, and Touya smirked. He wondered exactly how long it would take Ryu to realize that he was walking in the air now, slowly being lifted up by Jin's powers. Ryu paused, but continued to rise as Jin amused himself.

Touya smirked. "Finished?"

"Quite." Jin said with a happy smile. "That'll make a satisfying splat don't you think?"

"I agree."

Jin let go.

Ryu grinned. "Thanks for the help!" Wings sprouted from his back as his spirit energy pooled in his hands, glowing a dull green. Touya and Jin jumped to opposite sides of the chamber just as Ryu slammed his hands into the ground, the ensuing explosion creating a small crater where the two had been standing. Touya's eyes narrowed.

"Clever trick, I see."

"Clever nothing he tried to take our heads off!" Jin growled.

Touya rolled his eyes. "It's battle, Jin. They tend to do that in battle."

"I don't care it's still not polite!"

"No time to argue now." Touya snapped. "Here he comes again!"

Jin glared at Ryu. "Not for long he isn't this is my element." he snarled. Ryu hurled another energy bomb at Touya, who raised his powers in a shield. The bomb exploded, sending fragments of ice everywhere and leaving Touya standing without a scratch.

"That was stronger than I expected." he said, sounding a little out of breath.

"Oh come on Touya we're Shinobi for a reason let's kick his butt and be done with it."

Ryu smirked. His aura began to flare, all his spirit energy being unleashed for his next attack. "You really think you can survive my attacks? I have been in this castle for a hundred years, and no one has been able to defeat me. I am invincible!"

Touya grinned. "Perhaps, but we have been Shinobi for a thousand years. We will not be defeated by an amateur with delusions of glory."

"Die!"

He unleashed his attack, his energy leaping out into flames that melted the stone around them. Jin summoned his wind and blew some of the flames away, while Touya created another shield of ice. Touya gasped as his ice shield melted and the flames scorched his arms and legs.

"Touya!"

Ryu laughed. "Don't you see? I spent years perfecting that attack. Although it should have killed you both."

Jin ignored him and stood in front of Touya. "Are you all right mate?"

"I'm fine." Touya said, his voice slightly strained as he stood up. "Just a little worse for wear, that's all."

"He shouldn't be able to hurt us like that where is getting that kind of power?" Jin muttered.

"It doesn't matter. We'll take him down regardless."

Ryu grinned. "You can't defeat that attack twice." Once again his aura flared as he powered up for the attack. Touya grinned. He wasn't as strong this time. His ice shield would hold.

"After this we take the jerk out and find Yusuke." Jin said quietly.

"Agreed."

Ryu once again shot the flames towards them. This time they didn't reach as far, or melt the stone as much. Touya grinned. He was weakening. Even a demon as strong as Ryu couldn't keep this attack up for long, and Touya and Jin were too experienced to let out all their power in one attack like that. Touya raised his ice shield, satisfied when it didn't melt or explode like the last time.

Ryu snarled. "This isn't right."

Jin raised his hand, and suddenly Ryu was surrounded by a whirlwind. "Try getting out of this one dragon-boy I can manipulate the wind under your wings."

Touya's power materialized in his hands. He smiled. _"Shards of winter!"_ With a breath, he sent the ice slivers into the whirlwind. Jin's powers kept the ice shards frozen and circling Ryu, slashing deep into the dragon's skin. It was a slow death by inches. Jin smirked.

"Now this is more like it right?"

Touya chuckled. "Kuwabara was right. You are a sadist."

"You actually thought otherwise?"

Ryu continued to scream and curse as the combined attack slowly tore him apart. By the time Jin's wind died down, the demon was nothing more than raw meat in his own blood. Jin made a face. Touya grimaced.

"Eww now that's just gross."

"Let's find Yusuke."

/----/

"Here!"

Yusuke skid to a halt, his eyes widening. "Now that's not good." he muttered. "There's, what, a ton of rocks here? More?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "I don't know. But we gotta try."

The entire hallway had been caved in, the floor nothing more than a smoking pile of rocks. Yusuke wasn't even sure if Kurama and Hiei were under that mess, or if they had even survived it. He had seen the demon pair survive a lot they shouldn't have, but this was a bit ridiculous even for them. His fists clenched. "We can't move these by hand. There's got to be another way."

Kuwabara gave him a look. "What about your shotgun? At least it would make the rocks smaller."

Yusuke considered. "You know, Kuwabara, I think you just came up with your first good idea."

Kuwabara good-naturedly slapped him in the back of the head. "Watch it, Urameshi – I can still kick your butt."

Yusuke grinned at him and took careful aim. He only wanted to obliterate the rocks on top, after all. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Hiei and Kurama. His palm glowed. _"Shot gun!" _The top layer of rocks vanished in a flash of blue light. Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that worked about as well as we could have hoped."

"Yusuke!"

"Kurama!" Yusuke and Kuwabara pushed their way through the remaining rocks. Kurama had been wedged in between two smaller rocks during the cave in, but it was easy enough to pull him out once they had found him. Kuwabara pulled Kurama to his feet, helping steady the fox demon. Yusuke lifted Hiei up in his arms. The fire apparition was out cold. Yusuke looked up at Kurama. "Is he all right?"

"Barely." Kurama said, his voice faint. "But . . . he'll live." With that Kurama passed out. Kuwabara sighed.

"We need to get them to Genkai." he said quietly. "She'll know how to help them."

Yusuke nodded. "Right. Let's get out of here."

/----/

AN: Ha! Finally, the second to the last chapter is out! I thought my muse would never cooperate with me! (glares at muse) Either way, next chapter will explain everything that has been brought out in the story, so stick around, and remember to review.


	8. Chapter 8

**ch 8**

Kurama woke with a start. The last thing he clearly remembered was the ceiling caving in on them back in Ryu's castle. Now he was aware of being in a soft bed with blankets pulled over his shoulders and a small, warm body pressed securely against his chest. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

He was in his room, the window drapes pulled shut, allowing only minimal light in. Glancing down, he sighed in relief when he saw Hiei wrapped securely in his arms. The fire apparition was watching him appraisingly, his normally bland mask completely gone in favor of genuine concern. "You're awake." Hiei said quietly.

Kurama chuckled. "No. I thought I was dreaming."

That earned him a small smirk. "Sarcasm. You must be all right."

"Well, you have to admit, it was a deserving comment." Kurama said, pulling Hiei a bit closer. "What happened?"

"Beats me. Apparently Yusuke and the idiot came and rescued us. They've been staying in the spare room for the past four days." Hiei said with a one-armed shrug. Kurama's eyes went wide. Hiei continued. "Your mother has been gone almost as long as we have. Something about a honeymoon, whatever that means. Ask Yusuke. Every time Kuwabara mentions it, he turns red and starts giggling like a moron."

Kurama couldn't help it. He laughed. "How did they manage to get through the demon world alive?" he wondered. "They're good, but they aren't that good. They'd be overwhelmed by sheer numbers."

Hiei grinned. "They had helped. Touya and Jin, of all demons. They're downstairs right now as well, with Yusuke and Kuwabara. They've been waiting for you to wake up." Suddenly he turned serious. "If you ever pull that stunt on me again I will kill you myself, fox. I thought you were going to die."

Kurama smiled. "You were the one who was dying." he said softly. "I felt I had the right to protest."

Hiei snorted. "Protest. Right. Is that what they're calling risking your life these days?"

"Oh, shut up." Kurama attempted to sit up, but Hiei shifted enough to pin him down by his arm. Kurama glared half-heartedly at him. "Look, if we're going to go reassure everyone that I'm not about to join the Spirit World, I kind of need to get up."

"Not yet." Hiei sat up, and now Kurama could see that his shoulder was bandaged. He was still bruised and his torso looked like a crowd had used him for a door mat, and his Jagan eye was unsealed as well. Now he pinned Kurama with his most serious look. "Touya and Jin have enough couth not to ask, but you know Kuwabara and Yusuke will not shut up until we tell them. We're going to have to think of something."

Kurama hesitated, studying his friend. He really didn't have the energy for this. Despite sleeping for a solid four days, he felt like he could sleep for four more. Finally, he sighed. "I leave it in your hands. Do you trust them to not use it against us – or more importantly, do you trust them to understand?"

Now it was Hiei's turn to hesitate. "Kuwabara? The oaf will never get it." he said harshly. "But Yusuke – Yusuke will understand. And I doubt he would use it against us. Kuwabara isn't the only one with an honor code. Foolish humans."

Kurama chuckled. "Then we will tell them."

Hiei had just stretched out beside Kurama again, this time with his back against Kurama's chest, when Kuwabara and Yusuke walked in. To Kurama's surprise, Hiei didn't immediately jump up and take up his usual perch in the windowsill. Their secret was open still. The fire apparition knew his comrade was still nervous from their encounter with Ryu. Keeping close kept him calm. Yusuke smiled at the sight. Kuwabara just made a face.

"We figured you guys would be awake by now." Yusuke said, keeping his voice low. He pulled Kurama's desk chair out and took a seat. Kuwabara stayed standing behind him. "Touya and Jin just left. They sensed you wake up." Hiei nodded. Yusuke continued. "Look, I'll understand if you guys don't want to talk about what happened, but we do have a few questions."

It was Kurama who answered, letting his eyes slide closed as he did so. "We will answer your questions. Nothing more, though."

Yusuke nodded. "Fair enough. First question – how did they catch you guys?"

"Yeah – you're the toughest of us all." Kuwabara added. "They must've been really strong."

"Hiei should answer that one." Kurama said, his voice sounding faint. Hiei twisted slightly to study the fox. He was on the verge of falling back asleep, but fighting it. Hiei himself was also fighting the pull of much-needed rest. He nodded.

"We had set up camp for the night." Hiei explained shortly. "We made a mistake – neither of us were paying attention to our surroundings. There are low-level demons all over the place, so we didn't pay any attention to the ones around us. We realized our mistake when they attacked us. They overwhelmed us with surprise and sheer numbers." He hesitated. As he told his tale, he had propped himself up with one arm so he could look at the others while lying on his side. Now he looked away.

"They had a knife at Kurama's throat. I did the only thing I could do."

Suddenly Kurama was very much awake. "That explains a lot." he murmured, adjusting himself so he was sitting up. Hiei sprang from the bed and materialized on the windowsill, looking much more relaxed. Kurama couldn't help a smile. "I was wondering how they managed to convince you to stop fighting."

"Wait." Kuwabara said suddenly. "You mean you surrendered just because of Kurama? Why do I not believe that?"

"Because you're a fool?" Hiei snapped. "No matter what you think, Kuwabara, I am not a heartless monster. I just don't care for much."

"Demons do not make friends as a rule." Kurama explained quietly. "When we do, we do not advertise it. It's considered a weakness, even among demons like us who are strong." Kuwabara glared at them both and looked away. Kurama's eyes narrowed. "We do not expect you to understand or accept."

"I do." Yusuke said quietly.

"You're a special case, Detective." Hiei said calmly. "And even you may not understand everything."

"Which leads to question number two." Kuwabara said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why does Kurama have a bruise in the same place Hiei got stabbed? I heard of demon weapons that do weird things, but that's just creepy."

"That wasn't the weapon." Kurama said. "We can explain that as well, but – it's complicated."

"That, fox, is putting it mildly." Hiei muttered.

Yusuke didn't look away. "We have time."

"Very well." Kurama adjusted himself so he was leaning against his headboard. "I lied to you about how we met, Yusuke. I implied that I met Hiei here in the human world, when he found me shortly before our theft. That wasn't true. We knew each other long before that, long before I was ever injured. He knew me back when I was Youko, and Suiichi was nothing more than an unknown name. We worked well together – perhaps too well, come to think of it. We complimented each other perfectly. After a while, we became friends."

Hiei took up the tale. "Eventually we decided to become blood brothers." he said, his voice low as he stared out the window. "The bond would give us access to each other's powers as well as our strengths and emotions. It's not recommended, but it gave us power we had never known before."

Yusuke tilted his head to the side. "Not recommended?"

"Hiei was stabbed, and I received a similar wound." Kurama explained. "If someone knows how to manipulate the bond, then whatever damage they inflict on one of us would be reflected in the other."

"So they could use your bond thingie to kill you both?" Kuwabara wondered.

"Precisely, fool." Hiei muttered darkly. "Ryu knew that. He would have killed us too if we hadn't broken out when we did."

"He nearly killed us anyway." Kurama said quietly.

Yusuke considered for a moment. Kurama closed his eyes, letting exhaustion wash over him. Hiei glanced at him from the window. Kurama smiled without ever opening his eyes. "Blood brothers." Yusuke murmured. "So basically, you did the same thing humans do when we become blood brothers, but it tied your spirit energies together?"

Hiei smirked. "It tied much more than that together, Detective." But he didn't elaborate, and neither did Kurama. Yusuke sighed.

"Well, I'm glad you two are all right." he said, standing up. "We'll let you guys get some rest. Oh, and Kurama – your mom will be home tomorrow. That's what the note said, at any rate." With that he left the room, a grumbling Kuwabara on his heels.

The door had shut and the footsteps faded before Hiei spoke again. "They barely understand."

"It's not for them to understand." Kurama said. "You should get some sleep, Hiei. I don't think our troubles are over yet."

"Hn."

**The End**

An: Holy cow, it's finally done! Yay! (grins) I have a multi-chapter prequel in the planning – the story about how/why Kurama and Hiei decided to become blood brothers. If you want it, you got to request it. And yes, I will be taking liberties with their past. I haven't gotten that far in the series, so I have no idea. So read, review, and until then I remain yours truly,

Shadowblade-tara


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